Gianni started life as a red-blooded rooster and would often wake his Italian owners up crowing on his farm in Tuscany.But when a fox raided Gianni’s enclosure and killed all of the hens inside, Gianni felt it was time for a change.Within days the bird was laying eggs and trying to hatch them as he began his new life as a hen.The sex-change chicken has baffled scientists at the UN’s Farm and Agriculture Organisation, who are now planning to study Gianni’s DNA to see what made him change.

An expert at the centre said: ‘It may be a primitive species survival gene. With all the females gone he could only ensure the future of his line by becoming female.’

Professor Donato Matassino, who will be leading tests on Gianni, said: ‘This rooster-hen will be taken to the laboratories of Consdabi for a series of behavioural and genetic tests.’This will allow us to decipher this bizarre DNA mix up that appears to have literally given what looks like two chickens in one.’Professor Donato said the rooster-hen was transported by train to Naples where the laboratories are based.

Although Naples, Fla., native Paige Miles got eliminated from American Idol last week, she and fellow bootee Lacey Brown hope to get an apartment in L.A. soon to continue pursuing their musical dreams. Until then, the 24-year-old pre-school teacher can’t wait to get back home to Houston to see her dogs, and save some, too.

“I love dogs and I’m very involved in animal rescue,” Miles “Laila is a Newfoundland mix and a rescue I got two years ago. I have another Shih Tzu mix, or something-mix, we don’t really know – that I got a year ago, plus I have tons of dogs in and out so I always have a lot of dogs at home.”

While home in Houston, Miles spends weekends working with local Petco and PetSmart stores to hold adopt-a-thons for shelter animals that need to be adopted. “I also foster,” Miles says, “which means when we are at a kill space or just need to put a dog some place really quickly, I’ll just bring the dogs home and take care of them until we can find them permanent homes.” Miles also volunteers to clean shelters. “It’s a non-profit so everything we get is from donations and volunteer work,” she adds. “I just love dogs so whatever I can do to help, I’ll do.”More

Although Naples, Fla., native Paige Miles got eliminated from American Idol last week, she and fellow bootee Lacey Brown hope to get an apartment in L.A. soon to continue pursuing their musical dreams. Until then, the 24-year-old pre-school teacher can’t wait to get back home to Houston to see her dogs, and save some, too.

“I love dogs and I’m very involved in animal rescue,” Miles “Laila is a Newfoundland mix and a rescue I got two years ago. I have another Shih Tzu mix, or something-mix, we don’t really know – that I got a year ago, plus I have tons of dogs in and out so I always have a lot of dogs at home.”

While home in Houston, Miles spends weekends working with local Petco and PetSmart stores to hold adopt-a-thons for shelter animals that need to be adopted. “I also foster,” Miles says, “which means when we are at a kill space or just need to put a dog some place really quickly, I’ll just bring the dogs home and take care of them until we can find them permanent homes.” Miles also volunteers to clean shelters. “It’s a non-profit so everything we get is from donations and volunteer work,” she adds. “I just love dogs so whatever I can do to help, I’ll do.”More